Giving up a dream (for now)...

For a few years now it’s been a goal of mine to run a full 5km. I have competed in many many fun runs and have started the Couch to 5km program many a time. At each event I think it will THE one where everything will come together and I WILL be running over that 5km finish line. This dream hasn’t ever come true. What usually happens is within the first few hundred metres I get excruciating pain in my lower calf muscles and have to stop. This pain continues even when walking and if I was lucky would finally disappear with 2 kms to go. I have tried stretching, magnesium, foam rolling, physio’s, warming up with a walk before hand and still, the same pain happens. When I tried the foam roller the night before an event it turned out to be the worst pain I’ve been in and I couldn’t actually finish the event. Still, I persisted on and when an event came up for a 3km run I jumped on it, as it seemed like maybe this time I could do it, being a shorter distance.

But no, same pain. Had to stop. Felt disappointed in myself once again. The lovely CocoGirl was doing this event with me and she asked me if I liked running. My immediate answer was “No, I just want to one day say I’ve run a 5km, but I really don’t like running”. I had been thinking that I needed my “thing”. Friends of mine are “runners” or “triathletes” or “bush-walkers”. I felt like I needed a “thing” to. Another friend, Ruth, asked me the other day why I needed a thing?

My first thought was, well, everyone has a thing? Surely I need a THING!?

At the 3km event, Coco asked me what I enjoyed doing. My answers were tennis, swimming and obstacle courses, and that I would like to improve on all of these events.

Once I got home that afternoon, and after a much needed nap (I also climbed a mountain that morning!) I looked up tennis and swimming coaching and found Adult Tennis Coaching that prepares you for social fixtures, and an Adult Swim Squad. Awesome! I called for information on both on Monday and signed up! My first Tennis lesson is next Tuesday, with swimming on either a Monday or Wednesday. Perfect! And I am so excited!

Running that 5km is still a dream – I’m just not yet in the body that can fulfil that dream so it’s being put on the backburner for now. And that is okay <deep breath>.

Now, about that mountain climbing! Amazing – and I encourage anyone to climb a mountain – doesn’t matter how big or small – just find one and climb it!

The mountain I climbed up was Mt NgunNgun on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. A beautiful location surrounded by farm land and with views to the ocean.

I am so lucky to have the group of girls as friends that I have and it was with this group that we took on the mountain! The pace was nice and steady and it wasn’t long before we were making the final descent up a few boulders, and then, wow! The view was amazing!

Maybe Mountain Climbing can be my thing too.

Glow me up, Baby!

On Saturday the very first Brisbane Glow Run event was held at River Stage. This was definitely one of those in it for fun, and not time/calorie burn type of events. Along for the ride (er, walk) was a great group of girls, so I knew I was in for a night of fun and hilarity!

I usually absolutely hate any kind of dress ups/costume parties and the like, I think because of my weight I’ve just never felt comfortable doing that kind of thing, but this one I was determined to not give a sh*t and go all out! And I did! Along with Ange we became twinsies in, wait for it! Bright pink wigs, a pink and teal tutu, multiple glow sticks hung around our necks and wrists, a flashing rings and bright pink flashing “sunglasses”.

 

It was also the first of this kind event for my dear friend Julie. I think we all scared her a bit with our craziness, but she was a champion and did a fantastic job of the 5kms!

This is what I feel exercise should be about – not slogging it out (though some people like that too), but every now and again doing an activity just because it’s fun, and any calorie burn you get is just a bonus (but the last thing from your mind). Hanging out with those girls – all so inspiring, seeing other groups having so much fun, and high fiving unsuspecting tourists along the Southbank walk gave me just the most amazing high.

The walk did another surprising thing for me. It really put a new fire in my belly to be able to run 5km. I’ve had huge issues with tight calf muscles that have really hindered me getting to this goal so I’ve put a few things into place to try and overcome it: seeing an osteopath and stretching – LOTS of stretching. Wish me luck!

I would walk 5000miles....or 20km!

Sometimes I think up crazy stuff, and then sometimes I’m crazy enough to actually do them!

This adventure was one of those! A 20km walk.

I signed up to Tough Mudder late last year thinking that by the time August came around that I would be at, or close to, my goal weight and fitness. That didn’t happen so I made the decision to pull out of Tough Mudder. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it properly and not skip obstacles. I still wanted to do something epic this weekend just to prove to myself that I have improved my fitness and while I’m still nowhere near goal weight that I can push myself and my limits.

So I decided that if I wasn’t going to do a 20km obstacle course that I would instead walk 20km. After I had told a few friends about my idea one of them hopped onto it as well and said she would do it with me. And that’s how the gorgeous Ange and I came to walk 20km!

Before we set out for our walk Kate (AKA CocoGirl) were surprising a fellow 12wbt’er at an event that he was in that weekend – the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Greg Leitch, with his team, will be riding in every Ride to Conquer Cancer event over the next year to raise money for cancer research. Each ride is upwards of 200km over 2 days! The night before Kate and I created a big sign for him to see him off, as well as several little notes that he had to open along the way! It was so inspiring to see all of the people there and to hear the speeches before the riders set off and a fantastic way to spend some time before setting off on my 20km walk.

 

 

Then it was time to set off! Ange I and took the obligatory before shots, and then off we went! We took photos at each kilometre as each one was really a milestone for me. I couldn’t of imagined doing this, or even thinking of doing this a year ago!

 

 

It was  a beautiful day and the route we chose was along the river so we had a fantastic view the whole way. It wasn’t too hot or too windy or too cold, it was just right. The first 5km were great – we were both feeling really good! After 10km we started to feel the pain coming on and we made sure to have a 15 minute rest and bathroom break sitting at Kangaroo Point on the river.

Then we had to make our way back to the start where Ange’s car was. The 3^rd 5km things started to hurt, I could feel 2 blisters forming on my heels and my left hip started playing up. Ange was also feeling it, but we kept motoring on. At the 15km mark we had another break – some water and a snack and a chance to get our weight off our feet.

The last 5kms were really really hard. We had a break at each kilometre to the end as our bodies were screaming at us and our heads had to scream back! Finally, we made it to the finish line! 20km done! It was an amazing but exhausting feeling and so nice to have checked off something like this.

 

So, surely if I can walk 20km – I can run a measly 5km? That’s the next challenge!